//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Journey to the First Flame (Continued) // by Rated Ponystar //------------------------------// Smolder found herself going in and out of sleep a lot. She couldn’t find it in her to get too comfortable. For dragons, caves were not just shelters, but beds, homes, and sanctuaries from the hostile world outside. If you were going to grow healthy and strong, then finding the right cave to sleep in was critical. She missed hers back home. It wasn’t the biggest, but it had a homely feel to it, and sometimes the gems in the walls would glow at night, providing her comfort. This cave was so cold and heartless, it felt like gazing into one of the black holes Headmare Twilight had once spoken of during an astronomy lesson.  That being said, she would admit that beds were a lot more comfortable than rocks. Maybe she could convince the school to let her take her dorm bed home over the summer break? That would be the best.  Sighing, Smolder got up and looked to her right. Professor Fluttershy was sleeping peacefully, using her own wings as a blanket. Pegasi were better at dealing with colder weather due to living in the clouds most of their lives, so it made sense that she wasn’t too bothered by the cave’s temperature.  When Smolder checked to see how Jaden was doing, she found that, much to her annoyance, he wasn’t there. Probably went to take a wizz or something. Yet, in his condition, what if something happened to him? Smolder tried to fight the part of her consciousness telling her to look for him, but it won out in the end. I’ll check to see if he’s okay, but if I see him doing his business, I’m taking that voice in my head and throwing it into a lava lake. Thankfully, Smolder didn’t need to look far. Jaden was near the entrance of the cave, looking up at the stars. Curious, she walked over and sat next beside him. He continued to stare at the night sky in silence. “Hey,” Smolder greeted. “Couldn’t sleep?” “Yeah,” Jaden whispered as he closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m worried about the others. Do you think... Do you think they’re okay?” “...Do you want a comforting answer or a realistic one?” Smolder asked, biting her lip. “Realistic.” “They’re either in the same predicament we’re in... or they’re dead,” Smolder answered. Jaden’s tail twitched, but he had no other reaction. “S-Sorry, maybe that was-” “No, I was thinking it too,” Jaden replied as he shook his head. “I mean, I believe they're alive. They’re some of the toughest dragons I know. Especially Xieru. Fluttershy escaped, so there is a chance they’re okay too.”  He lowered his head and gripped the rock so hard that his claws began digging into it. “But I’m not naive. There was always a chance we’d end up dead on this mission. Especially if the dragon behind all this is capable of summoning those monsters.” “How’d he even get away with that?” Smolder asked. “Aren’t you Metallics dedicated to making sure no dragon among you goes rogue?” “I don’t know,” Jaden answered with a shrug. “Xieru knew him better, but he never told us anything. Maybe Oasis knows. He’s good at listening in and figuring things out since he’s so quiet. And I wouldn’t put it past Sykir to look into it. She’s curious about everything.`` “Yeah, I heard the conversation she and Professor Fluttershy were having. She looked half ready to fly to Equestria right there and then,” Smolder chuckled. Things were quiet between them for a bit before Smolder sighed and rubbed the back of her head. “Look, I’m not the greatest when it comes to this, but you gotta have faith that your comrades are okay. I mean, you said it yourself, they’re talented dragons. And we dragons don’t go down easily.” “Even Metallics?” Jaden asked with a smirk. “I guess even you metal heads can handle yourselves okay,” Smolder said, before pointing at his wound with a smirk of her own. “Although you have to prove yourself better.” “Ha ha,” Jaden replied with a roll of his eyes. Again there was silence between them, but Smolder didn’t mind it this time. It was actually kind of nice, just staring at the stars with a stranger. It made her appreciate the fact that everything had slowed down. Since she’d started her journey to the First Flame, it felt like everything had been one trial to the next both her and Professor Fluttershy. From being chased by an Earth Snake, to helping solve a civil war between Diamond Dogs.  Now I’m helping Metallics stop a crazy dragon from doing some freaky dark magic. I can safely say if I survive all this it will be one heck of a story to tell. And I thought my friends at school already made my life crazy, Smolder thought to herself with a smile. She really wished they were here with her. She could imagine what they would be doing at a time like this. Ocellus would be going through that big brain of hers to figure out a strategy; Gallus would complain about being on guard duty but secretly be extra vigil about it; Silverstream would be trying to keep every creature’s hopes up with a tale from her home; Yona would try to match such a story with one from Yakyakistan; and Sandbar? He’d mostly likely be asleep by now. “I’m sorry.”  Smolder blinked as she came out of her thoughts. Jaden was looking at her with regret.  “For what?” “...Come on, don’t be stupid.” Jaden moaned as he rolled his eyes. “I’m sorry for mistreating you because you were Chromatic. I’d be in a worse state if you didn’t help me out, and I certainly didn’t make it easy with my attitude. Everyone says I have to think with my head instead of my mouth, but I got a problem learning it.” “...Well, I guess I’m sorry too,” Smolder answered with a sigh. “I didn’t trust you or your group. I was taught to never trust Metallics. That you guys hated us and thought we were savages.” “Well, guess what? We think you hate us because you’re jealous of our ordered society,” Jaden pointed out. “...Sheesh, this is just like the Diamond Dogs.” Smolder facepalmed as Jaden titled his head. “The what?” “Never mind,” Smolder replied before shaking her head. “Look, I’m sorry for being a butthole. You’re sorry for being a butthole. How about we just start over?” She held out her hand. “Name’s Smolder. Nice to meet you.” Jaden looked at the hand before smiling and shook it. “Jaden. Same.” “So, why don’t you ask me something about your kind and you ask me something about mine?” Smolder suggested as she lay down on the rock with her hands behind her head. “Because I’m not tired either, and I figure this could be the kind of Friendship lesson Professor Fluttershy would want me to learn.” Smirking, Jaden laid down next to her. “Why not? Ladies first.” “Alright.” Smolder wracked her brains for a bit before a question came to mind. “Do you guys really have a big citadel made out of platinum?” “The Temple of Bahamut,” Jaden answered with a nod. “It’s the most important building in our religion. Dedicated to the god himself. It’s pure platinum, with five hundred silver fires constantly lit and twenty different separate rooms for masses and group prayer.” “Huh, we just worship in our caves and in private. Don’t really have a hierarchy, save for a few sages. They live in isolation to devote themselves to the gods, then spread their wisdom to us,” Smolder replied. “Okay, my turn,” Jaden said before thinking really hard. He then asked, “Is it true that you fight behemoths on a regular basis?” “Not all the time, but they have made advances in our territories. It’s one of the few times we dragons all work together to fight them off,” Smolder answered with a shiver. There were few things in the world dragons would admit scared them, and the giant horned creatures of evil were one of them. “Thankfully, it's been three hundred years since the last big behemoth invasion. But we remain vigilant.” “Wow, that’s admirable,” Jaden said with respect in his tone. “Okay, your turn.” As Smolder asked her question, neither dragon noticed a certain smiling pegasus watching the two’s developing friendship.  *** The moment Xieru lost consciousness amidst the ambush, he was sure he would be waking up in the afterlife. Moaning, he opened his eyes and tried to get a good look at his surroundings. He was in a cave, that much was clear, but it was very small and cramped. Just barely able to fit not just his size but the others captured with him. He looked to his left and right and saw Oasis and Sykir on opposite ends of his side, both still unconscious. There was no sign of Fluttershy, Jaden, or Smolder. Once his senses were fully back, Xieru tried to move, only to notice he was wrapped in dark red chains made of glowing magical energy. He looked ahead at the little light from the cave’s entrance and growled. It too was shielded by the same dark energy. However, it soon made an opening for a creature coming in, and Xieru’s growl turned to an outright snarl upon seeing who it was. His scales were of pure steel that shone even in the darkest shadows of the cave. His spiked back and top two horns were that of normal bone, but with tipped steel edges. His wings, flapping behind him, were slightly larger than most dragons' his and Xieru’s size, and no less deadly. With cold, gray-colored eyes, the steel dragon looked down at Xieru and snorted. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up.” “Valaxis,” Xieru whispered with disgust.  Valaxis sighed and folded his arms. “I suppose I should be honored that the High Priest himself came after me, but I expected a larger group, not a bunch of young dragons barely out of their eggs.” “There is a large army of dragons at the border, waiting to come and strike you and your monsters down,” Xieru grumbled, wishing he had them right now. “I was merely playing the scout to make sure you were here to begin with.” “I did make it seem like I was going to the Chromatic Dragons’ lands, didn’t I?” Valaxis began to pace around Xieru and his unconscious friends. “I should have known you would not fall for that. You knew me too well.” “Not enough,” Xieru muttered with a sorrowful sigh. “Because you clearly are mad.” “Is it madness to want revenge for your parents’ death?” Valaxis argued as he stopped in front of Xieru and glared down at him, lowering his head so that they were face to face. “I would have thought you of all dragons, Xieru, would understand my reasoning. You lost your family to the Chromatic Dragons as well. Have you forgotten?” “I have never forgotten, Valaxis,” Xieru stated as he closed his eyes.  He remembered that day very well. Many dragons, including both his and Valaxis’s families, had died in the attack. The only thing that prevented it from escalating into war was Torch personally delivering the instigators, saying he had not authorized this and wanted to negotiate for peace.  Even though the rogue dragons responsible were executed, the anger festered in Xieru for a long time. It helped him bond with Valaxis as they grew up, but over time, things changed. “The difference between you and me is that I found peace by worshiping Bahamut. I found the strength to move on, and now I lead our people with that wisdom I have found. You? You have let your anger and hatred swallow you to committing atrocities against your own people. For what? Power to wage a doomed war against Chromatics?” “I’ve gained the power to see to it that no Metallic Dragon will ever need to worry about the barbaric Chromatics ever again,” Valaxis argued as his tail slammed the ground. “For generations, we’ve suffered at the hands of degenerates disgracing the dragon race. They raid, murder, steal, and burn anything and everything for themselves. They care nothing about others or even each other, save to use whoever is weaker than them as pawns for their games. They don’t even have a society; just roaming hordes keeping to primitive traditions we outgrew long ago. The world is better off without them, and the only reason we haven’t wiped them out is because we’re too merciful to do it.” He snorted fire out of his nostrils. “That mercy will end with the death of the entire Chromatic race. They will feel the justice of all those that they have brought suffering to. Not just to us Metallics, but to all races in the world who have come to see all dragons as monsters because of them. With them gone, honor will return to our kind.” “Liar!” Xieru snapped back with a growl. “The only thing you want is revenge. Don’t try to sugarcoat it with excuses. You sacrificed innocent dragons to an evil Titan for dark power, power that you have used to murder more dragons. You have not only disgraced yourself and our people, but you have disgraced Bahamut as well. He will damn your soul for what you have done.” “Bahamut is the only one who can decide my fate. Not you,” Valaxis snorted. “And if going to Hell is the price I pay for wiping out the Chromatics, then so be it. I’ll gladly suffer for an eternity knowing I sent them all down with me.” “And how will you do that? Even with as many monsters you have summoned, the Chromatics outnumber you, and I have ordered the Metallics to work with them to stop you should they not hear from me soon.” Xieru snorted. “I already know you intend to summon something. I’m guessing we’re in The Sacrifice Pit, and that you intend to sacrifice the three of us to summon it. But whatever you summon, it will not work.” “Well, you are right and wrong at the same time, old friend,” Valaxis said with a smirk. “We are in the Sacrifice Pit, and I will have you sacrificed to Null tomorrow, but I will not be doing it. I’m leaving it to the Nightwalkers so they can summon more powerful monsters to hold back the Metallic army at the border.”  His smirk then increased. “I will instead sacrifice something more powerful. An ancient relic of great power that Null would find worthy of taking and exchanging for something just as powerful with it. I intend to sacrifice every First Flame itself.” Xieru gasped and looked at Valaxis with horror. “Y-You can’t do that!” “I am, and do you know what I intend to use it to summon?” Valaxis whispered it into Xieru’s ear, which made him freeze up in horror. His scales slowly turned pale as he looked at Valaxis as if he was a demon himself. “Take comfort knowing that I will make sure it will not hurt the Metallic lands while it rampages. If it manages to hurt other nations? Well, I care not. Have a good night's sleep.” The steel dragon soon made his way out of the cave, the magical barrier closing behind him. Xieru tried to say something, but he couldn’t find it in him to speak. A single word, the word Valaxis had muttered in his ear, was making him more afraid than ever. Not just for both kinds of dragons, but for the entire world. “Bahamut help us...” Xieru whispered as he closed his eyes in despair. “Bahamut help us all.” Of all the deadly demons that could be summoned, one of the most dangerous was now at risk of being brought into their world... A Typhon.